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Written by: Yasmeen Manzoor

Category: ARTICLES

Published: 24 January 2019

SRINAGAR: The alliance, which was put together with much careful crafting in 2015, where the two largest parties People's Democratic Party(PDP) and Bhartiya Janta Party(BJP)formed the Government, could not, in the end, carry the weight of the hugely contradictory ideological positions. The coalition formed by PDP, a pro-autonomy party formed in 1999, and the BJP, a Hindu nationalist party which has advocated a disciplinarian approach to Kashmir since the early 1950s  precisely lay in its "unnatural" quality, because it signalled engagement between very different perspectives on the Kashmir conflict.

The coalition collapsed on June 19 2018, as the BJP pulled out of its alliance with PDP,  while CM Mehbooba handed over her resignation to Governor N.N.Vohra after BJP's announcement. Soon after the alliance ended, the internal differences between the members and the party head arised where most of the senior members gave their resignation by switching in to some other rival parties creating an atmosphere of chaos, instability and political crisis in valley.

Haseeb Drabu, an economist  along with the Mufti, had crafted the Common Minimum Programme that formed the bedrock of the alliance which ended in June 2018.After the assembly was dissolved by Governor, Drabu quit the party saying that it was the "right time" Another senior PDP leader, Altaf Bukhari was expelled  from the party, reacting to the party's decision, Bukhari said that he was happy for the party's decision and the reasons given for his expulsion are debatable.

Peoples’ Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone welcomed the joining of Imran Raza Ansari by terming it as emotional homecoming. On the hand, a major loss of face and popularity for the PDP can be good news for the National Conference of the Abdullahs as it may turn into a big challenge for the BJP in the next Assembly election in the state.

Pertinently, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form a government with the support of the National Conference and Congress, citing a collective strength of 56 MLAs in the 87-member House, likewise a separate claim to form a government was made by Sajad Gani Lone of the two-member People’s Conference who claimed support of the BJP and 18 MLAs from other parties,while  in the meantime Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the assembly terming the joining of parties as "horse riding".

Now a days, a new face came in the picture, Shah Faisal an IAS officer who recently announced his resignation from the services to "protest against the unabated killings in Kashmir" and has decided to start his political journey as independent candidate and requested people of state to denote for this cause. Every eye is on the new Government formation as recently Shah Faesal former IAS officer hints of his own party and Sajad Lone is also in the race, the question is only who will be the next chief minister?